The present invention is directed to methods and systems related to the application of needles to the skin and particularly needles which are used to puncture the skin of the face and neck.
The skin needs to be treated and nourished below the surface for the most dramatic skin renewal results. The inner surface of the skin should be the target of therapy so as to promote repair from the inside out. The repair process stimulates the production of collagen and leads to faster skin renewal and rejuvenation. Collagen, critical to the renewal process, is the substance that provides skin with its vitality and healthy glow. When the new skin is visible, a process that may take weeks, the new skin is smoother and healthier.
Other methods of promoting skin renewal, such as the use of lasers and dermabrasions, burn the skin. Needle therapy does not. Accordingly, the risk of scarring or hyperpigmentation is lower with needle therapy than its burning alternatives. Needle therapy is not as invasive as said alternatives, so the skin needs less time to recover. It has been shown that the skin can improve 40% to 60% in just one treatment. The procedure can be repeated after six months. As with laser skin treatments, the skin continues to improve for up to a year after the treatment.
The present invention facilitates the production of collagen and elastin, substances that are vital for healthy-looking skin. Before the advent of this device, the only way to apply an active substance was through pills and topically applied chemicals that are generally acidic. The present invention employs fine needles that create small infiltration channels through which creams and exfoliants can reach the dermis directly. The infiltration channels are closed again within minutes after treatment. Relative to a traditional topical preparation, the present invention increases skin penetration by a factor of 40.
The present invention can be further utilized to inject substances subcutaneously. This use enables delivery of therapies targeted to tissue underlying the skin. An exemplary therapy would be the injection of a therapeutic agent into subcutaneous adipose fat tissue, stimulating a reduction in the mass of said tissue. The present invention's dynamic needle infiltration makes this possible, giving the device versatility not found before.
The use of dynamic needle infiltration has several advantages. It is efficient. It is painless. It is compatible with a variety of skin products to achieve a variety of purposes.
There have been several prior systems for needle therapy including commercial tattoo technologies. While there have been several systems directed to needle therapy, there has not been a system in which the effective length of the needles can be adjusted. It is desirable to adjust needle length based upon the patient's skin type, age and skin disease state.
It is an object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a needle therapy system which enables the needles to be adjusted.
It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a system which is adjustable and which can be used to treat skin and to facilitate the penetration of various therapeutic agents into and below the skin.
It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a system which can be used for a variety of dermatological applications, including acne prevention, hair growth and exfoliation.
It is a further object of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention to provide a system which can be used to treat a variety of disease states affecting subcutaneous tissue.
These and other objects of the present invention will be described in the detailed description which follows.